[itmag]

Good for him!

Flash of insight: a big part of why he was able to do this, is because he put himself in the public arena and allowed himself to become a celebrity (in some sense).

As someone who is a little scared of becoming famous, this is a wake-up call.

I always focus on the negative aspects (eg being judged) of being known to many people. But if Amit had been as much of as a fraidycat as me, he might not have gotten this chance.

Bottom line: being a public person confers many benefits. It's easy to focus on the 5% who are haters rather than the 95% who are fans. Being obscure is safe, but stifling.

(A friend of mine who is somewhat famous in his niche noted that the lynch mob he had expected never showed up :p )

[erikpukinskis]

Amit is also extraordinarily generous. A lot of why he's "famous" is for giving stuff away... his products, his events, his space, his time, etc. I don't think all "famous" people would've received the same outpouring of support.